Ed Snyder began this blog in order to share his decade-long experience with all things cemeterial. As a photographer specializing in images of cemetery statuary, I've run into some interesting people, had some unexplainable experiences, and had a lot of fun.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

About twenty years ago I discovered a book that got me so
interested in cemetery monuments and cemetery photography that my new endeavor
quickly became an all-consuming passion. The book, "Going Out in Style:
The Architecture of Eternity," by writer and photographer Douglas Keister,
was an epiphany for me. It really got me interested in the art of the Victorian
cemetery. It is a wonderful coffee table book full of fascinating photographs
and interesting prose. Honestly, until Larry Broutman's "Chicago
Eternal" was published in 2018, Keister's had no equal. I have read, and
own, scores of cemetery books and I must say that Broutman has pushed this art
form to a new level. I am excited to present to you my review of this wonderful
book.

“In Chicago Eternal, the Windy City’s rich history springs
to life through illuminating photographs of gravestones and monuments. This
full-color, hardcover book explores thirty-two Chicago cemeteries, shedding
light on the famous, notorious, and long-forgotten. Each image is accompanied
by text detailing the deceased’s cultural contributions. Chicago Eternal is a
must have for professional and hobby genealogists, tombstone tourists, history
buffs, and photography lovers. All author proceeds are donated to the Chicago
Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Disabled and Access Living.”

3D image from Chicago Eternal

Chicago Eternal is grandiose venture, a true labor of love. It
is about memory, respect, and the way we choose to mark the lives of those who
have gone before us. It is a coffee table book in a very literal sense – it is
so large, it could almost double as the coffee table itself! Measuring 9x13
inches and 1.25 inches thick, this is a serious and weighty tome. True, size
isn't everything. Happily, Broutman's book has much more to offer – wonderfully
composed images, insightful text, celebrity graves, exhaustive coverage of all
of Chicago's major burial spots, and
.... 3D glasses. Yes, those blue-and-red lensed glasses, to be used to view the fifteen3D images of grave markers in
the final chapter of the book! What a wonderfully clever surprise!

My daughter enjoying 3D glasses

About the Photography

As a photographer, I realize that it is challenging to make
an artistic, aesthetically pleasing photo of a cemetery monument. Most such
images are either clichéd or what I call "snap shoddy," a snap shot
that really is nothing more than a post card photo at best. So I may hold up
cemetery photography books to a more rigorous standard than do most people ‒ the
photos have to do more for me than provide documentation. The funerary
architecture and stunning Victorian-era mourning art sculpture in Chicago’s
cemeteries are worthy of documentation for sure, partly because time and the
elements wear down these unique objets d'art. I am happy to say that the
majority of Broutman’s intriguing images are successful photographs themselves,
while providing visual accompaniment to the text. As my tastes run more toward
black and white photographs, color work has to really stand out to get my
attention ‒ and these images stand out.

Why do Broutman’s images stand out, you may ask. Well, for
me two of the most appealing atmospheric conditions under which to photograph
cemetery statuary are in the snow, and under cloudy skies before a storm.
Oddly, many of Broutman’s images were made under just these conditions. To my
eye, this makes the subject ‒ the architecture and statuary ‒ that much more interesting.
Shooting under these conditions is unusual. I would like to know what kind of
cameras Broutman uses, how he made some of these images, and WHY he chose to
make many of the photographs while there was snow on the ground (I assume the
winters are longer in Chicago, so he may not have had a choice!). I would think
a short essay explaining such technicalities would have been enjoyable to read.
His discerning use of depth of field and limited use of HDR make the images
quite pleasing to the eye. Possibly because the color images are so striking
and the print quality so high, the few black and white images in the book seem to
have less punch. It’s unusual for me to say such a thing, because I do prefer
black and white to color.

Celebrity

Like many people, I am intrigued by celebrities. Visiting
the Chicago grave of Howlin’ Wolf or Jesse Owens makes us feel closer to the person,
physically, than we ever could have in real life. Visiting Al Capone’s or ‘Big
Jim’ Colosimo’s grave is certainly safer than it would have been to visit the actual people when they
were alive! Many of the people in Broutman's book were players in Chicago’s colorful past,
people we learned about in history books, such as Mayor Daley, Jack Ruby, and Detective
Allan Pinkerton. Standing at their graves makes history more tangible. Broutman
provides informational text and supplemental historic photographs to flesh out
his stories, making them that much more interesting. Who knew that Oscar Mayer
(buried in Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery) patented sliced bacon?

Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago

Never having been to Chicago, there is the mystique of
novelty here, for me. My guess, though, is that even if you HAVE been to these
Chicago area cemeteries, you will get even more from Broutman’s book than I
have. Such nationally historic events are marked in Chicago’s grand graveyards,
for example, the Showmen’s Rest railway disaster at Woodlawn, the Haymarket Riot in Forest Home,
and the Irving Park graves of the victims of 1929’s St. Valentine’s Day
Massacre. Broutman puts flesh on the bone with his images and text, bringing
history to life in ways that a simple history book cannot. It was truly
inspiring to see the grave of Emma Goldman (Forest Home Cemetery), the Jewish
political activist whose memorial bears the engraving, “Liberty will not descend
to a people, a people must raise themselves to liberty.”

On a lighter note, it was a treat for me to see and read
about the actual grave markers that graphic artist Scott Larson brings to life
(literally) in his indie comic book series Visitations. In Larson’s world ‒ a
steampunk version of Chicago at the turn of the twentieth century ‒ very
specific cemetery monuments come alive to protect the living. One of his
characters, “Piper Boy,” is seen below in Broutman’s 3D photograph. (Read more about Larson’s work here.)

Grave of Christopher Manual, 3D image from Chicago Eternal

The design and layout of Chicago Eternal are simply stunning. The front and back covers do
what covers are supposed to do – make you want to buy the book! If you are so
inclined, the publisher has graciously offered a discount code to readers of
The Cemetery Traveler:

One of the things I enjoy most about Chicago Eternal is the fact that it rekindled my interest in
exploring cemeteries. Not that it has waned, exactly, but after twenty years,
you think you’ve seen it all. Broutman reminds us that there is a unique person’s
life behind every gravestone ‒ a life worth learning about, in many cases. He
also put ideas into my head for making photographs. I learn from other
photographers’ work, and Broutman shows us that even a documentary photograph
can be artistic. Like the book I discovered twenty years ago that got me so
interested in cemetery monuments and cemetery photography, Chicago
Eternal will likely become a similar catalyst for a new generation of
photographers.

Acknowledgement
Photographs in this article are used by permission of the publisher, Everything Goes Media, LLC.

About the Author

I do not know Larry Broutman personally, but we do share
more than a love of graveyards and photography. Broutman is a plastics engineer,
which I find quite intriguing. I am a biomedical engineer, and one of the most
notable pieces of research I published was in partnership with a plastics
engineer (click here to read). What is it with engineers who are also artists? Left and right brains in action!

Author Larry Broutman donates all of his profits from
Chicago Eternal and his two other coffee table books of photography, Chicago
Monumental and Chicago Unleashed, as well as his soon-to-be-released children’s
book, Chicago Treasure, to The Chicago Lighthouse and Access Living.

The Chicago Lighthouse

The Chicago Lighthouse is a world-renowned social service
organization serving the blind, visually impaired, disabled and Veteran
communities. Recognized as a pioneer in innovation since 1906, The Chicago
Lighthouse provides vision rehabilitation services, education, employment
opportunities and assistive technology for people of all ages. Larry Broutman is a Lighthouse Board Member. His upcoming
book, Chicago Treasure, features photographs of students from the Judy and Ray
McCaskey Preschool at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually
Disabled.

Established in 1980, Access Living is a change agent
committed to fostering an inclusive society that enables Chicagoans with
disabilities to live fully–engaged and self–directed lives. Nationally
recognized as a leading force in the disability advocacy community, Access
Living challenges stereotypes, protects civil rights and champions social
reform. Their staff and volunteers combine knowledge and personal experience to
deliver programs and services that equip people with disabilities to advocate
for themselves.